Update: Downtown Businesses Committed to Helping People's Park Recover from Fire

Update: 6 p.m. Tuesday The downtown businesses surrounding People’s Park are devastated over the fire and want to help out owners Dan and Jim Taylor bounce back, said Lynn Gaffey, owner of neighboring Almont Gallery.

“We will all be there to help them to do what we can,” she said. “We are a real family orientated community down here.”

, Bodway’s Live Music Grill, artist Jeff Seymour and Gallery already have stepped forward, Gaffey said.

“We are all family. It just took one of our own,” she said. “We are just really happy it wasn’t worse. All kind of things could have happened.”

An artist who is involved with Almont Gallery had artwork hanging in the restaurant, but Gaffey is hopeful that the piece can be restored.

As for the ceramic faces that overlook the bar area?

“They looked pretty good,” Gaffey said.

Earlier Tuesday: No one was injured when a fire was reported by a cleaning person at a popular downtown bar and restaurant at 6:24 a.m. Tuesday.

The Waukesha Fire Department was on scene in three minutes to quickly knock down the fire atk, Battalion Chief Richard Neustaedter said.

“It appeared to be in the wall,” Neustaedter said. “When firefighters arrived it was a combination of the wall and actually behind the bar.”

One resident of the building was evacuated from the building, Neustaedter said.

While a damage estimate and official cause has not yet been determined, Neustaedter said there was extensive smoke damage, some water damage and some fire damage to the wall and bar.

“We had a four-station response due to the location and the size of the building,” he said. “Fortunately, it was knocked down. I am sure there is some extensive overhaul given the type of the building.”

Fire Marshal Brian Charlesworth said there is not yet an official cause to release. The fire department is working with the insurance adjuster to determine the exact damage amount to the bar.

The fire was not suspicious, Charlesworth said, but there was a lot of equipment in the area where the fire originated.

It could be a few days before the exact cause is determined.